5 days Ago By Dale Haslam
Bus drivers have called for better conditions in the wake of Keith Rollinson’s death – branding the firm they work for “Slavecoach”. We have spoken to several Moray and Aberdeenshire Stagecoach employees who have described ongoing safety problems that they say are not being addressed. They also called for new laws to be introduced that would ban persistent troublemakers from buses.
The workers – who spoke on the condition of anonymity, fearing for their jobs – said problems have gotten worse, not better, They also claimed bosses at the firm are ignoring employees’ safety concerns that have been raised as a result of the tragedy. The Press and Journal put the drivers’ concerns to the bus company, which said it was working closely with the authorities to address issues and improve the overall experience for customers and staff. ‘Stagecoach have buried their head in the stand’ One driver told us: “Stagecoach sent a rep to Elgin Community Council until last November to discuss issues.
“But that’s all gone. Stagecoach hasn’t sent anyone since – even though it is discussed every month. “Then in July, The nearest boss is in Inverness.
He doesn’t know the area. “At the very time Stagecoach should be showing they care after Keith’s death, they have buried their head in the stand.” The workers we spoke to said the central issue is a lack of power.
‘You can’t throw yob kids off buses’ Keith’s 15-year-old killer – – had attacked a bus driver before but was still allowed to use Stagecoach. Bus firms cannot ban children from services as they would be liable if something happened as a result of them being stranded. One driver told us: “When you run the late-night services, you’re a driver, therapist and security all in one.
“A troublemaker will get on, shout and spit at you. And then what can you do? You can’t kick them off because they’re under 18. “You can call the police.
What if it takes an hour for them to come? “Passengers just want to get home and will get impatient. “So you let the troublemaker on. He’s got away with it.
Next time he’s bolder.” Another driver said: “Down in England, they have photos of troublemakers in the staff room along with the routes they take and you can kick them off. You can’t do that here.
” Unite, which represents bus drivers across the north-east, wants Holyrood to create a specific offence of assaulting a transport worker. It follows – though the responses were anonymous so we do not know which part of Scotland this happened in. New law proposal That proposed new law would allow court sheriffs to ban persistent offenders from certain bus stations, stops or buses.
One driver told us: “If someone spits at a shop worker, they are banned from the shop. “If they punch someone at a football ground, they are banned from going back. So why are buses different?” Another problem employees raised is the layout of Elgin Bus Station.
Teenagers – most of whom are well-behaved – can gather indoors when the adjoining St Giles Shopping Centre is open. But when it shuts at 5.30pm, they often hang about by the bus stands outside.
“A small minority of them will create problems and run off down the alleyways towards the high street – and this can go on for hours,” said one driver. More cameras and better lighting He added: “Last week, contractors knocked down another wall there – and that created another run-through. “We need more lighting, more CCTV coverage and more things designed in so that only people waiting for a bus use the station.
“Stagecoach has even considered abandoning the bus station altogether and just using somewhere else as a terminus.” The final big issue among drivers is working conditions. “Many of us are fed up.
We call the company Slavecoach,” one driver told us. He added: “You drive on a route solidly for five hours. Then you get an unpaid 30-minute break.
“Then you can be driving for four-and-a-half hours again. It borders on unsafe, particularly when you are driving a long vehicle around in poorly lit residential streets in the dark. ‘Drivers put up with a lot – then leave’ “I’ve noticed in Germany, people think highly of bus drivers.
“They often speak several languages and it’s a job people are proud to do. “But in Scotland – it’s the opposite. “It’s a job that people with low self-esteem do.
“So the drivers – with the best intents – put up with a lot from their bosses and from customers. “And then eventually they break and leave. “When you join you get a driver number.
“I know for a fact that that driver number has doubled in the last two years, which shows just how high staff turnover is. “We need more breaks, more one-to-ones and group meetings with managers and better pay.” Staff taken from Elgin A related problem is the inter-relationship between Citylink, Megabus and Stagecoach, which comes under the same umbrella.
According to the staff we have spoken to, Stagecoach was concerned that one of Megabus’s rivals would introduce an intercity service, so Stagecoach stole its thunder. In June 2023, Stagecoach introduced the M96 – or Gordon Highlander – route linking Aberdeen and Inverness. For a time, it was run from Elgin and was then switched to Aberdeen.
One driver told us: “But there was a driver shortage, so they took drivers from Elgin to work this route and put them up in hotels in Aberdeen at the end of their shifts. “That has left us with fewer drivers than we need in Elgin. There are so many buses in the depot that just aren’t being used.
“All this puts pressure on those of us who remain – and we just want the bosses to staff the shifts properly.” Another driver said: “It’s been nine months since we lost Keith and I think he’d be really disappointed to know that his colleagues remain unsafe at work. “In February, there was a lot of positive sentiment from – but it disappeared quickly.
“We need that back and we need them to work with the drivers to make things better.” Stagecoach responds A spokesperson for Stagecoach Scotland said: “Throughout recent legal proceedings, our thoughts have been with the family and friends of our driver who sadly passed away, and we have worked closely with police throughout their investigation. “We are committed to ensuring a safe environment for all our passengers and drivers, and we recognise that incidents of antisocial behaviour at Elgin bus station have raised concerns within the community.
“In response, we have been actively working with the Community Safety Team at Moray Council to address issues and improve the overall experience for our customers and staff alike. “We continuously review our services based on feedback, and we have an influx of new drivers currently in the process of training who will help bolster our services in the Highlands and across Scotland. “We always welcome feedback and would invite local ministers to meet and discuss any improvements, so we can work together to maintain a high service level for passengers and a safe working environment for our teams.
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